2015 Ford F-150 King Ranch STRIKES GOLD! Leads HUGE 54k January 2015 Sales, Up 17% YoY

The King Ranch trim level shares top billing with the Platinum in the new F-150 lineup. These are the boss’s trucks. If the King Ranch lives life far from Wall Street, the Platinum is a more New York City-boy (where 7th Avenue meets Broadway?)

Just kidding. They are both at home in any context.

Even a sales chart.

This latest ranker from GoodCarBadCar.net shows that the new F-150 gamble is paying off big-time for Ford with truck buyers. Ford does not break out sales by trim level, but it is safe to assume the first waves of trucks are the Lariat and up. Below, XL and XLT fans will be very happy campers, too, by the way. All F-150 models are all terrifically improved and best-ever pickups.

But still. Wow.

Monthly January 2015 sales of 54,000-plus units!?

That is more than Jaguar sells in a full year. Globally.

To deliver on the promise of the new F-150, Ford is doubling down on its factories. Kansas City will add 900 new workers, 500 will join the Dearborn squad, and Sterling Axle will add a few hundred as well.

As we said a year ago, the F-150 is Ford’s 12-billion-dollar Golden Goose. And this one is so good, the goose is getting fat. [Please put a loaner in this author’s lap? =]

The gold mine is deep. And has much more to give.

Check out our full drive review of the new F-150 here, or cruise over to the F-150 site on Ford.com to build and price your next truck.

 http://www.car-revs-daily.com/?s=f-150

Rank

Best-Selling Truck

January
2015

January
2014

%
Change

2015
YTD

2014
YTD

%
Change

#1

Ford F-Series

54,370

46,536

16.8%

54,370

46,536

16.8%

#2

Chevrolet Silverado

36,106

28,926

24.8%

36,106

28,926

24.8%

#3

Ram P/U

28,618

25,071

14.1%

28,618

25,071

14.1%

#4

GMC Sierra

12,621

11,118

13.5%

12,621

11,118

13.5%

#5

Toyota Tacoma

11,409

9842

15.9%

11,409

9842

15.9%

#6

Toyota Tundra

8197

7890

3.9%

8197

7890

3.9%

#7

Chevrolet Colorado

5942

14

42,343%

5942

14

42,343%

#8

Nissan Frontier

5868

4931

19.0%

5868

4931

19.0%

#9

GMC Canyon

2205

1

220,400%

2205

1

220,400%

#10

Honda Ridgeline

214

1163

-81.6%

214

1163

-81.6%

#11

Nissan Titan

774

887

-12.7%

774

887

-12.7%

#12

Cadillac Escalade EXT

2

25

-92.0%

2

25

-92.0%

#13

Chevrolet Avalanche

31

-100%

31

-100%

Total

166,326

136,435

21.9%

166,326

136,435

21.9%

Ford Adds 1,550 Jobs to Support Demand for All-New F-150; Hundreds of Entry-Level Workers to Attain ‘New Traditional’ Status

  • Ford is adding 1,550 new jobs to its Kansas City Assembly, Dearborn Stamping, Dearborn Diversified and Sterling Axle facilities to meet growing demand for the all-new 2015 F-150 – the toughest, smartest, most capable F-150 ever

  • As part of Ford’s commitment in the 2011 UAW-Ford collective bargaining agreement, approximately 300 to 500 workers – the first group of “new traditional” employees – will transition in the first quarter, based on attrition and growth, to $28.50 an hour 

  • The entry-level agreement has enabled Ford to invest more than $6.2 billion in its U.S. plants and hire more than 15,000 hourly UAW members – up from the 12,000 jobs that were promised by 2015 in the contract agreement

  • In January, Ford F-Series had its strongest sales month since 2004; F-150 sits just 12 days on dealer lots – turning faster than any other Ford vehicle

As Ford ramps up production of the all-new F-150, the company today announced it will add 1,550 new jobs across its Kansas City Assembly, Dearborn Stamping, Dearborn Diversified and Sterling Axle facilities in the first quarter of 2015. The new jobs will support production and growing customer demand for the recently launched 2015 Ford F-150.

With these new jobs, Ford has reached its entry-level allowance outlined in the 2011 UAW-Ford collective bargaining agreement. As a result, approximately 300 to 500 workers – the first group of “new traditional” employees – will transition, based on attrition and growth, from their entry-level wage of $19.28 an hour to their new wage of $28.50 an hour. The majority of these employees work at Kansas City, Chicago and Louisville assembly facilities.

“Thanks to stronger than expected customer demand, we’re adding 1,550 new workers to support additional F-150 production,” said Joe Hinrichs, Ford president, The Americas. “These jobs are further proof that customers recognize the all-new F-150 as the toughest, smartest, most capable F-150 ever. We sell every truck we can build, and we plan to build more.”

Of the 1,550 new jobs, 900 are allocated for Kansas City Assembly and 500 will be added between Dearborn Stamping and Dearborn Diversified, with the remaining 150 jobs going to Sterling Axle. These jobs are in addition to the more than 5,000 hourly jobs Ford added across its U.S. manufacturing facilities in 2014. 

“This is very exciting news and these additional jobs will have an impact in communities all across our nation,” said Jimmy Settles, UAW vice president and director, National Ford Department. “This also represents a major milestone for employees hired under the entry level agreement, as many will now begin to convert to ‘new traditional’ wage status, as negotiated in the 2011 collective bargaining agreement.”

The entry-level agreement negotiated as part of UAW-Ford collective bargaining has helped improve Ford’s competitiveness and enabled the company to invest more than $6.2 billion in its U.S. manufacturing facilities. Ford has hired more than 15,000 hourly UAW members – exceeding its goal of creating 12,000 hourly jobs in the United States by 2015.

Toughest, smartest, most capable F-150 ever
The all-new F-150 is the toughest, smartest and most capable F-150 ever – boasting a military-grade, aluminum-alloy body and high-strength steel frame, and shedding up to 700 pounds for a lighter, more efficient truck than any previous F-150.

These weight savings lead to customer benefits regardless of model configuration or engine choice. The innovative new truck can tow up to 1,100 more pounds and haul up to 530 more pounds than the 2014 model, and has the highest EPA-estimated fuel economy ratings of any full-size gasoline pickup on the market. When equipped with an available 2.7-liter EcoBoost® engine, the new F-150 4×2 has EPA-estimated fuel economy ratings of 19 mpg city, 26 mpg highway and 22 mpg combined. Actual mileage may vary.

Numerous groundbreaking features debuted in the all-new F-150, including these class-exclusives:

  • 360-degree camera view uses exterior cameras to create a bird’s-eye view of the truck to help drivers park, maneuver in tight spots, and navigate narrow roads and trails

  • Integrated loading ramps enable easy loading of ATVs, motorcycles and mowers

  • BoxLink cargo management system combines metal brackets and custom cleats to secure a variety of accessories in the cargo box – from ramps to storage bins to bed dividers

  • Trailer hitch assist adds a new rearview camera feature that incorporates a dynamic line based on steering wheel angle in the display to help customers line up their truck and trailer with no spotter or need to exit the vehicle

  • Remote tailgate allows for tailgate to be locked, unlocked and released with the key fob

To manufacture the all-new Ford F-150, the truck team designed an innovative process that includes the latest in advanced materials and in forming and joining technologies.  

The new manufacturing process called for the overhaul of both Dearborn Truck and Kansas City Assembly facilities. Dearborn Truck saw its largest manufacturing transformation in decades wherein legacy manufacturing equipment was replaced with the latest in production technology. Changeover at the facility was completed last fall. Kansas City Assembly is currently undergoing a similar renovation that is scheduled to be complete in early 2015. 

Combined, the two plants will have capacity to produce more than 700,000 trucks per year for availability in 90 markets globally.

F-150 is part of Ford F-Series, celebrating its 38th straight year as America’s best-selling truck and 33rd straight year as America’s best-selling vehicle. Ford sold 753,851 trucks in 2014.

The all-new F-150 is off to a tremendous start. In January, Ford F-Series had its strongest sales month since 2004, which was the company’s best sales year for the F-150 ever. In the first month of 2015, F-150 sat just 12 days on dealer lots – turning faster than any other Ford vehicle.

In addition, more than 1 million people have built and priced F-150 configurations on Ford’s website.

http://www.car-revs-daily.com/?s=f-150

Tom Burkart is the founder and managing editor of Car-Revs-Daily.com, an innovative and rapidly-expanding automotive news magazine.

He holds a Journalism JBA degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Tom currently resides in Charleston, South Carolina with his two amazing dogs, Drake and Tank.

Mr. Burkart is available for all questions and concerns by email Tom(at)car-revs-daily.com.

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